Why Tennis is Better Than Pickleball

[@IntuitiveTennis]

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[@jameschristiansson3137]

This comment about a pickleball tournament sums it up for me: "The raw athletic abilities both teams are displaying is absolutely phenomenal, and something you only see in knitting magazines."

[@jamestartisel2527]

That's funny

[@Brbrutfdcssf]

"First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you, and then you win." Goodbye tennis, hello pickleball. 😜

[@jameschristiansson3137]

@@Brbrutfdcssf Pickleball courts sit empty in my town, but there's no denying pickleball is a huge success elsewhere.

[@jasminesuarez8358]

Pickleball does not require athleticism. Its a more strategic sport but not as physical. No bending to hit a dink does not make you athletic lol. I say do both that way no matter where you are you can get games in.😮

[@malcat972]

Lol pickle ball is tennis for the nursing home

[@theroadrunnerjarhead4109]

I used to be a 5.0 in tennis. It was a long road to be rated as a 5.0. I enjoyed the challenges and the workouts and the friends that helped me get there. Tennis is a sport in which one needs a love for the game and a dedication and athleticism to keep improving. And there is always a wanting to get better. That gives me an appreciation for the sport that pickle ball would not be able provide me.

[@tomtwells6082]

Very well said Nick. The sound of pickle ball is absolutely the most annoying sound and conversely the sound Federer and Nadal striking the tennis ball is sublime. Watching Federer play is or was magic. Watching pickle ball not so much but more power to those who play. I'm a 4.0 player. I played high-school team tennis and still play 5 days a week to keep my game at a 4.0 level is work and practice and other training to stay in shape. A 4.0 doesn't want to play with a 3.0, a 5.0 doesn't want to play with me. That's life.

[@pickleballhead6957]

Wait, I'm confused. Are you talking about pickleball or tennis? Because it's true for both sports.

[@LatiNoble]

Lets not forget the sound of men and women grunting so loudly that my wife wonders what I’m watching. 😂

[@joek5078]

​@Pickleball Head Good club tennis players can (and do) beat good club pickleball players after playing pickleball 5 or so times. The reverse would be 6-0, 6-0 after 50 times of playing tennis.

[@bradkrick8254]

Played college tennis and played my whole life. I played pickleball at a work community event and learned the rules before we started. My partner and I had never played together and she is a 3.0-3.5 tennis player. We beat the other team who play pickleball all the time. You should not be able to be the best on court the first time trying something. Tennis for the win!

[@harryp3804]

Bwahahahahah xd

[@jimmyyuan5504]

Can’t agree more!

[@madmax6654]

So you were able to play and excel at Pickleball because you have played tennis all your life. That’s great Pickleball has almost the same strategies and movements as tennis. But I can tell you with 100% certainty that a person that’s never played either Pickleball or tennis Can pick up a pickle ball paddle and start playing almost right away and having fun. NOT True with tennis. From a person who is somewhat athletic and reasonably coordinated. I started playing tennis and pickle ball almost at the same time. I really like tennis it’s a great workout but very expensive and sometimes hard to find people to play with, and a learning curve is pretty high you need time on court. With Pickleball let’s just say it’s a lot more social fun to play and for a busy guy that works about 50 hours a week and has to also work out at the gym Pickleball fits my life just great.

[@harryp3804]

@@madmax6654 lol I work 70 hours a week still play tennis 3 times a week , pickle ball is wuss id rather play table tennis lol

[@Mobev1]

@@madmax6654 agree...I'm a 4.5 tennis player and to maintain that there is no time for other hobbies

[@ltrotter636]

It's great that people are playing pickleball, which allows them to get out, move a bit, compete, keep their reflexes sharp and have fun! I tried it once, and although I didn't enjoy it, I can appreciate the sense of community it builds, especially for individuals who can't play (or choose not to play) a more physically demanding sport. I think pickleball is good for people's mental health too.

[@Avenger566]

I understand your point, but we have become such a lazy society that we can't even run the length of a tennis court anymore......in 50 years will pickelball be to much exercise?

[@willycolonnello888]

In Spain and now also in Italy more and more tennis clubs are converting tennis courts into Padel courts, this is because Padel is generally played in 4 is simpler and creates much more aggregation, fun and also involves much more women, the Club Earns more than double the money with padel compared to tennis. I love tennis

[@dougwrightuspta6221]

Thanks so much, for an honest assessment . Everyone is so afraid to talk about this. Tennis descends from Real Tennis and Court Tennis ... Played by royalty and the nobility across England and Europe. Pickleball began as a dog's chew toy.

[@tomsd8656]

That's what I thought, though I couldn't come up with a better analogy. People can just play this game in their backyard with their dog. There's no need to let the ball bounce.

[@fitforever22]

Tennis is a beautiful and very intelligent sport, it requires dedication and talent to learn its complexity.

[@mjmassi11]

I'd say the top two reasons I love tennis are: (1) it's great way to exercise (2) it's super difficult yet I am always learning and improving. Who spends hours alone on a pickleball court trying to improve their serve? Or watches slow motion videos of pros to learn from their footwork? Tennis is not "fun". It is engaging, challenging, frustrating, and fulfilling. Also, I actually like my opponent 78 feet away from me.

[@kathysheeran6589]

Lol -I spend time hitting against the wall for pickleball. I also watch videos so I can improve. I never played tennis but I am athletic. Pickle ball is fun and it does keep you moving. I like that all ages can play it and they think it’s fun ❤️. and there are always lots of people who are willing to help you get better.

[@calmbrownie64yt72]

I think you said it best. Tennis is not "fun". That being said, I am gonna go play pickleball now FOR FUN

[@40rods]

Tennis remains infinitely compelling to me because of the skill ceiling - I could play for my entire life and feel there was still areas to improve on. Pickle seems like you'd have everything figured out in short order, which doesn't appeal to me.

[@pickleballhead6957]

What if things aren't as they seem?

[@coachtj4486]

@@pickleballhead6957 When people have that idea you're foisting, they are usually wrong. #facts

[@coachtj4486]

In any case, see the comment from Brad Knick above. *The score tells the tale* in any sport; I challenge you to differ on that.

[@bretts5571]

Yeah if you are a 4.0 or higher tennis player you can pick up pickleball pretty quickly.

[@MainstreamMoviegoer]

IN DEFENSE OF PICKLEBALL: I agree wholeheartedly with all these reasons (I'm an ex-college club tennis player who recently started playing Pickleball competitively; was a 4.5 tennis player before converting), EXCEPT I think most of these arguments may not hold as true over time. Based on what I've observed, the game seems to be changing quickly and with advancements in the "sport", I think many of the same things you're seeing in tennis will develop in Pickleball (using sound for the paddles (i.e. sweet spot, or slices etc.), clothing lines to develop, playing etiquette, popular pro players, and new players that emphasize power as well as touch/feel). I love tennis, but I also love Pickleball, and to be frank, I no longer have a future in competitive tennis, so it's nice to see that I still may have a competitive future in the pro ranks of Pickleball. In my mind, the rise of Pickleball will be somewhere between tennis and ping pong; it's considered a "recreational past-time" for many, but it will be highly competitive in other places. If ping pong can be considered a legitimate racket sport, then Pickleball should be too.

[@adumsstupid5571]

I know I'm responding so late but I couldn't agree more, pickleball is so new. It'll for sure get more advanced over time and people will develop new strategies and mechanics to excel in the sport.

[@bearsgonefishing9897]

I love tennis and hate pickleball. But to hear Coach say "drip" was sheer perfection. Love it.

[@offthefront7537]

How can you hate a sport? Do you hate squash, pop tennis, platform tennis, racquetball, table tennis, bingo, paddleball, handball, bike racing, track & field, swimming, diving? Just because you can't do it you should not hate it.

[@Marvinite]

@@offthefront7537who said he cant do it?

[@yomamma88]

Spot on Nick! I totally agree about the hooting and hollering by pickle ballers. I'm about 4.5 level and take tennis seriously and don't appreciate all the noise they make. I like to have fun too, but they don't have the same etiquette as tennis. It's more about fun and party time for pickle ball.

[@najlamohammed7307]

Hi from Yemen.. I like the way you train and the way you explain each and every step.. My regards

[@annamariaisland1960]

My town just passed a gas leaf blower prohibition, but not everybody is following the new law. At my local tennis court I was talking to a doubles partner about this and he was complaining about the new law. At least I think that's what he said - I couldn't hear well because there was a leaf blower blasting with impunity about 40 yards away. I think that pickleball interest will level off and drop after a while, once injuries start to develop. Most PB players are over 50 and have never done much in the way of exercise, a recipe for injuries. It's similar to how bowling used to be in the US, in who it attracts and the social aspect. I lived through the 70s tennis craze when courts were built everywhere. It was great for about 15 years, then some of the courts started to grow grass and were torn up. Around 2000 the number of available courts had dropped to match the need, but the intrusion of PB has caused new trouble. It's a NIMBY problem where lots of people want more PB courts, just not in their neighborhoods.

[@Gr8thxAlot]

You're right, 100%. The courts of my youth are now grass. (Likely built in the 70's boom, they were concrete, and awesome.) Kind of sad, I loved those courts.

[@dwightlewis2026]

Your final reason - the performance-level caste system within tennis especially at the rec level - is the biggest obstacle for those who are beginners or those returning to tennis who actually want to ENJOY AND LEARN FROM THE GAME as well as doing the DRILLS. This forces many of limited means to join expensive tennis clubs and expend a lot of money - often out of fixed or low incomes - on tennis lessons just to have access for a short time to others to play. I have been in tennis leagues at only the 3.0-3.5 level where the top players in the league simply refused to play the bottom players in the SAME league because it would "not be worth my time". This has long been a serious problem for tennis.

[@VL1975]

LOL...caste system. WTF....this isn't a class warfare thing buddy. It's called skills. Either you have the skills or you don't. You probably use pronouns, too. lol

[@dwightlewis2026]

@@VL1975 Thank you for making my point, including arrogance and insults. I could not have done it better.

[@pickleballhead6957]

I'm a 4.0 pickleball player. I don't particularly enjoy playing with 3.0-3.5 players. But I will play a game or two. No biggie. It can still be challenging.

[@sl3848]

@@VL1975 the irony of there being a pronoun in that sentence…

[@nTo-vlog]

This is a valid point to be discussed amongst tennis fans. Where I live tennis was loosing its popularity. Courts were converted to other sports. And this lack of inclusion due to skill gap makes it even more difficult to invite people to tennis. Where I live we mostly play doubles so we mix and match the players so that everyone get a fair amount of playing time. We understand that skill gap can be an issue and fortunately the people in my tennis community tries to manage this the best way possible.

[@Kfm7]

Have you ever checked out paddle tennis?? I’m a 4.5 player and I actually enjoy playing the 4.0 or a solid 3.5 serve and volleyers so I can work on certain shots.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Have not but I want to

[@maxpowers3732]

Something you didn't mention in your video is space. Pickellball courts take up a lot less room than a tennis court. As far as the actual sport I agree with everything you said. I play at 4.0/4.5 level in tennis and played pickellball for the 1st time and was happy that it was accessible and I could play with people I'd never play tennis with. I think which one is "better" depends on if you're looking to test your skills or go out and have fun with friends.

[@ldeue4837]

We used to play pickle all in gym class…converting a tennis court into a pickle all court is sheer disrespect for both sports in my honest opinion. The proper nets are two different heights all you really need for a pickle all court is a badminton net. Let’s stop disrespecting both games if you want to have dedicated areas for pickleball I’m fine with that but they shouldn’t be sharing the same space as a tennis court.

[@perpetval9022]

Only recently have I seen people playing pickle ball in person, and the sounds were different. I tuned it out because the world doesn’t revolve around me.

[@cinajawa]

I love tennis. Learned it as an adult and spent years to get to 3.5-4.0 level. It is a sport for the committed. I took up pickle ball recently, and got good instantly (you hit like 1970s tennis). Pickle ball doesn’t take much time to start rallying. It is not a spectator sport like tennis but wins in participation and learning curve.

[@coachtj4486]

FTR, the sound of a pickleball strike is already becoming an issue for the sport and the communities where it's played. IIRC, it can be as much as 20 db louder than a tennis strike, which is 100x more sound energy (decibels are logarithmic). There was a recent article in a major media outlet, I forget which one, where this was discussed. Cities and apartments that have installed pickleball courts are getting push-back from residents because of the obnoxious sound which can easily carry over 100 meters. I think for the sports long term viability pickleball needs to find a way to deaden the paddle without changing the playability, because the noise (calling it just a 'sound' is inaccurate, imho ) is a very real problem. It's nice that it allows gimpy seniors to stay active, I'll give it that, but when I see young adults playing pickleball "seriously", tbh, it's kind of a joke. Even table tennis has more nuance and requires more skill than pickleball, which I dare say is *too easy* to learn.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Super interesting. Thank you 🙏

[@coachtj4486]

@@IntuitiveTennis This email was just sent from the Beverly Hills Recreation Department (yes *that* Beverly Hills; I have a non-resident card to reserve courts there). I'll paste the main paragraph here. >>> As of June 16, 2022, pickleball play at the La Cienega Tennis Center has been moved to 2 new courts on the 2nd floor of the facility. These 2 new courts are located on courts #1 and #8, and court lining work to stripe the courts for pickleball play was completed this week to begin a 3-month pilot pickleball court relocation project. *The 2 new court locations aim to reduce the neighborhood noise impacts of pickleball play at the La Cienega Tennis Center.* These new courts are not permanently installed pickleball court locations, and the 3-month pilot pickleball court relocation project will help in the continuing effort to assess ideal pickleball court locations.

[@billwillis3626]

The city painted orange pickle ball lines on a couple of the tennis courts and it's irritating and bothersome. I do love playing and watching tennis in person and on TV. Another big positive for me is that my brother and son also like tennis so it's great to talk about tennis with them. We also have made a couple of big tennis trips together to the US Open and to the Masters in Cincinnati in addition to going to the US Indoor in Memphis( before it was discontinued)a lot of years since my brother lives near Memphis. Really good bonding experiences. I do have a question for you Nick and everyone. I play with a group of older guys and we have three regulars but have a difficult time getting a fourth a lot of times. Any ideas? Thanks. Enjoyed your video as usual, Nick!

[@nicolarubino12]

Hey nikola, Cool vídeo, as always. Couldn't agree more, especially considering the entertainment factor when you watch pickleball instead of tennis. The same happens with pàdel, I reckon. You play it with your friends, and it's good fun. You watch it, and after a little while you'd pretty much prefer check montecarlo out to enjoy some epic tennis matches. Cheers, Nicola

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Thank you Nicola

[@supermuskelmann8557]

Mhm I play with everyone. I don’t care if they’re better or weaker. Playing weak players can be a good way to practice certain shots one wouldn’t try against serious competition.

[@pickleballhead6957]

You sound like a pickleball player.

[@nTo-vlog]

Bless you my friend. Tennis needs people like you.

[@PDivision1]

I didn't have a chance to play pickleball in Auckland but played some badminton. I was able to play reasonably good (after several months when my technique became more adequate) to sometimes beat guys who were learning badminton as children. Mostly because of stamina but I feel like playing tennis makes other racquet sports easier for you. I also really enjoy tennis in New Zealand. Ranking system, lots of tournaments, interclub matches. Much better compared to what I had in Ukraine where I'm originally from. But I have to take private lessons to improve so it's expensive.

[@aeromotive2]

personally, I like tennis because its a little more challenging, in that once you get OK at it you feel a greater sense of accomplishment, like you picked up a skill (not to say PB is skill-less). At the same time, it's not so hard that it forever remains frustrating.. you put in the effort and you are rewarded.. for me this is not the case with golf which I will forever suck at, seemingly no matter what. So it's accessible, yet not too easy that it's still rewarding. Oh another thing about me.. im not that social lol

[@reuelray]

People at certain levels who do not want to play people at a much lower level are not arrogant, it's just that neither side are going to get anything out of it...🤷🏿‍♂️

[@tomsd8656]

In my area, many the tennis courts have PB lines on them. On some, the PB lines are light blue, so it's OK. But on the courts I played, they painted bright yellow PB lines. You can't imagine the distraction. Many times we can't be sure whether the serve was in or out, if it's closed to the line. And there's no need for bright lines for PB , because PB is played with balls that travel at snail pace.

[@tennisteuton]

8:55 I have always understood when people didn't come back to play with me - I needed to become better. It's a good way to gauge myself: About 50% of tennis players in this country are NTRP 3.5. About 30% are 3.0, and 10% are 2.5. Out of 20 people that I played, 3 to 4 come back to play with me regularly. That's about 15 - 20%, which suggests that I fall somewhere between 2.5 and 3.0 in my playing level. Sure, maybe it would be nice if a 5.0 player wants to play with a 3.0, but the 3.0 doesn't want to play with a 1.5 either, right? It will all shake out as it is supposed to be.

[@Eagles_Wings_Isaiah40.31]

I had entertained the thought of playing pickleball when I am older (like after 80) but don't think I ever will want to now. Listening to his reasons, I am reminded of why I love tennis since I learned it as a teen.

[@matiaserp]

In Brazil all the trend is beach tennis everywhere, even on cities without beaches (artificial sand courts). The reasons seem to be similar: more people, more social, more women, less area needed for more courts so more profitable.

[@pleaseenteraname1103]

I live in Southern California, and I always see people at pickle Ball courts, and I live near Santa Barbara as well, i’ve actually seen Jimmy Connors in person a few times, because he actually lives really close to where I live, The last time I saw him was in the Whole Foods, I wanted to go up to him but I was too afraid to, i’m very socially awkward and I was afraid that I would embarrass myself in front of a tennis legend.

[@CodeOnBlocks]

I love pickelball, but now that I've been playing it a lot, I realize my favorite part is when I have to quickly run for the ball. This has now gotten me interested in tennis, because I know in tennis I'll run substantially more for the ball.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Tennis 🔥

[@knotwilg3596]

I can't hear the sound of the ball since ATP started grunting as obnoxiously as WTA. Half of my joy of watching tennis has disappeared since then and I most often mute a video between players who do. It's totally over the top. I know you think grunting is ok but it doesn't compute with the need and the joy of hearing the contact. The gentlemanship and etiquette suffers a lot from it too.

[@lbjeffries]

Oh Jesus, grow some fucking balls

[@IntuitiveTennis]

That’s true. It’s weird with grunting. Annoying when some players do it, but when Rafa does it I’m not bothered at all by it. Shows the physicality of the game.

[@felixfranco]

@@IntuitiveTennis rather it shows you’re a fan, I’ve learned to tune it out but I still prefer to not hear it.

[@rharrell1]

Thinking some of the movement towards tennis at least at the junior level was due to the pandemic restrictions when a lot of the team sports like soccer and baseball were shut down.

[@frankojudoka]

I’m a die hard tennis fan, too. You want speed, play badminton, too.

[@hochiglenn]

I’m totally down for some badminton. Not at all interested in Pball.

[@fernandosanfranciscoca9278]

Pickleball are seniors citizens friendly...everyone just can grab a paddle and able to play Pickleball right away Tennis you really need some lessons, to be able to at least be good at it. Tennis raquet are pretty heavy for older folks, not too many order folks can play Tennis Have you seen 80>90 years old plays Tennis? Not very much. Go to Pickleball tournament and you'll see a lot of 70's > 80's plays Pickleball men & women's, and they enjoyed it very much. I wish I can still play PB until I'm 90's😊

[@klacsanzky77]

I agree with all points made, and each sport benefits different types of people and also people at different stages in their life. I always enjoyed all racket sports and focused mostly on badminton for some years. I got achilles tendonitis as I played a lot of badminton and didn't let myself recover. Playing pickleball does put less strain on the body, so I am able to play at a higher level than I would with tennis and badminton without reinjuring myself. So in my eyes first choice is tennis or badminton, but hey pickleball is better than not playing anything. I do miss killing it at the net which you can do at badminton and tennis.

[@limboski696]

Finding good tennis partners that match and challenge your skill level well can be hard.

[@inscrutablemungus4143]

8:40 I disagree with you slightly on this. Yes, a professional player will beat an amateur pretty much all the time, and likewise a 5.0 vs 3.0. However, I don't think this is an excuse to refuse to play them altogether. And I don't think this is healthy for the sport. I practice a sport that is similarly skewed in skill (fencing). In fencing, we have a similar rating system to tennis, but we use letters going from U-E-D-B-C-A with U or unranked being the lowest and A being the highest. I'm currently a 'B' in foil (which I would estimate is like a 5.0 in tennis approximately) and I often go to tournaments with people who are rated lower (sometimes even unranked). A lot of these people are usually very talented, but new to the sport. Even though I win every single bout, I always have these lower ranked players talk to me after pools and try and get my opinion on where they were making mistakes and how they could improve. Similarly, I've gone to summer nationals in fencing where I've gone up against really top-class fencers. And again, while I lost handily to them, I made contacts, exchanged notes and received valuable advise. This is extremely healthy for the sport. It's a *good* thing that lower ranked fencers can potentially walk up to Div I or even a professional fencer at a NAC and go up against them. It's not insulting or a waste of the better fencer's time. Nor is it the case that an E worked less hard than an A. I started fencing at 10, not many people had that opportunity, but I respect people who start in adulthood and train hard. It's not 'beneath' me to fence them. I fully understand your point, but I think it's healthy for tennis if there wasn't such rigid limits on who can play against whom.

[@Charles-xm1ml]

Found this video spot on ....Thanks

[@Theoneandonlyguy]

I play at a club in offseason. They have a seperate set of courts for just pickleball, and when I walk past it to enter the main wing; I kid you not I hear MUSIC and loud screaming and when I walk into the tennis wing its silent with classical music playing in the lobby.

[@LcTricker]

Agreed on the pickleball sound, it's so annoying! Even worse is it's DISTRACTING when people are playing pickleball next to a tennis court and you're trying to play a tennis match.

[@K4R3N]

Yes Nik, I have TC+ running at my house all day as well. If I cannot get on the court then at least I can study the sport and watch the pros.

[@gottaplaytennis]

The most valuable thing about playing pickleball is playing it as a tennis player who has worked to craft their game. I've played, and then taught tennis, for over 40 years. I recently wanted to try pickleball as it looked fun (at least singles did). Here is what I found: decent tennis players will crush it (singles) on a pickleball court. I've only hit about a dozen times so far, and already I can see my agility, footwork, technique, anticipation, and tactics coming into play. If I do this for 3 months, watch out pickleball players! Never underestimate a tennis player on a pickleball court. I may need to make a few adjustments (especially due to that silly no-volley zone), but overall, I'm finding it very easy to be very good, very fast! Let's switch roles and put these players on a tennis court. Epic fail without a doubt.

[@michaels7566]

I never played Tennis but did start playing pickleball 2 months ago. I have noted that those that came from a Tennis background play better and have much more accurate returns. I live in an over 55 and talked to one ex-Tennis player (75ish) who had 3 Tennis related surgeries and she said she can only play Pickleball now. For fun, she and I played two singles Pickleball games yesterday. In both, I had a sizable lead up to the halfway point but she eventually won. I used my greater mobility to make up for my lack of ball handling skills but half way in I was fatigued from her accurately hitting the ball from one side of court to the other. Now, I am sort of interested in checking out Tennis just to see if I am missing something? At 67 though I wonder if that ship has sailed.

[@hansolsson3409]

I love tennis!

[@kevindohertyonline]

I agree 100% with all the points in this video

[@williamwatts6384]

Retired and moved to a condo community in Florida, I’m 56 and in shape, I’ve been playing tennis for three days with my new friend , and out of nowhere, here comes the pickle ball advocates trying to convert me!(They’re re either old ladies, or non athletic beta males) It’s as if their jealous of tennis players athleticism!🤷🏾‍♂️

[@fullmetal_neet2288]

Tennis players are absolutely SEETHING at the fact that pickleball is not only more fun, but also more popular than tennis.

[@brianbarrett192]

GREATEST VIDEO EVER! Dust-blowers, the BANE of the Universe! Get a rake!

[@yakzivz1104]

I prefer tennis because it is more challenging and more technical. It also helps me to stay in great shape as well.

[@naokisonoda-hq]

Have you heard about Spec Tennis? I think this is a much better alternative to pickle ball. I’ve been playing tennis for thirty years and it’s been a bit intimidating for my girlfriend to pick up the sport. I finally broke down and bought a pickle ball set for us to play around with. However, I discovered Spec Tennis yesterday, and it seems like a much more logical alternative to pickle ball. Also, a great gateway to tennis. As my longtime coach and friend says, tennis is the king of racquet sports. It’s regrettable that pickle is taking over, but not surprising for a society that has an ever diminishing attention span.

[@enigmax15]

Great video. Where can I buy that Rafi t-shirt? Thanks

[@stilllifeproductions5017]

Thank you for this video! I totally agree...

[@coachaltennis-sportslife9854]

They tell me it's fun, and plenty of folks are playing the game more, but I'm side of this one student I had who was 77 at the time, had both knees and hips replaced, who said, "I won't ever stop playing tennis and I'll probably die on the tennis court." I am far from 77 but I totally agree. I'll probably end up looking like a giant raisin with a tennis racket, but I'll be out there. See you all on the TENNIS court...TENNIS court. Thank you Nik keep going.

[@dwightlewis2026]

Were you talking about me? Ha! I'm also 77, and have both hips, knees, shoulders, and eye lenses replaced and trying to return to the sport. Even at my age, pickle ball is still an insult to my generation.

[@coachaltennis-sportslife9854]

@@dwightlewis2026 no sir, but what a coincidence. This was a lady back in NYC when I was a Pro at the Wall Street Health and Racquet Tennis Club at the South Street Seaport. My biggest suggestion to all senior players is play matches using 10 and under court lines (60' court). Love Tennis.

[@oldmsippiguy6545]

My Dad’s 88 and been playing tennis since he taught himself how at about 10, so 78 years of tennis. Unfortunately he’s slowed down a good bit in the past couple of years but still plays. He took up Pickleball about 3 years ago and loves it due to it not being as hard on his body. If he were still able to be competitive I’m sure tennis would be his first choice.

[@coachaltennis-sportslife9854]

@@oldmsippiguy6545 10 and under court with 26 or 25 inch racket and either green dot or orange balls, is what I'm going to use when I get up there. Then when I turn 90 it'll be the 8 and under court with mini net and red balls. I've got it all planned out and I have the equipment. Hey Nik how about a senior tennis vid. Lol.

[@NickNeras]

Agree 100% Thanks Nick!

[@evanstowers8529]

When I first played pickleball I didn't like it but it's slowly grown on me. Pickleball doubles, which is the predominant mode of play, is more akin to table tennis these days I feel like. Also some of the commonalities with badminton can't be overlooked. I'm seeing more and more of a separation between the good players and bad players in pickleball these days and it's becoming harder to find pickup games for beginners as the majority of pickleball players improve far past the beginner level. The power game exists in pickleball but I don't know much about it on a higher level. If you go with a power-paddle you can develop quite a lot of pickleball "power" in your game - the game as a whole is still being intuated / figured out.

[@arturos3016]

I have never seen or heard pickleball in europe. Padel is killing tennis here. But padel is fun, even though I'm definitely a tennis fan. Padel is way more accessible than tennis

[@ZeJapi]

How about tennis vs padel? Or hasn't padel arrived to US yet?

[@pickleballhead6957]

Or squash? Now that's a hell of a game!

[@ZeJapi]

At least in Finland squash is really minimal, some squash halls are turned into gyms. Squash was a big hit in the 90s. Padel is now super popular and new halls and courts are built all the time. In my opinion padel is fun with 4 friends, it's easier and more "fun" than tennis but 1vs1 tennis is the real deal.

[@Siloguy]

@@pickleballhead6957 squash is a great work out and fun to play but not a lot of players in my area.

[@user-wz1qo1cn3i]

In a way, I play tennis because it IS tough, the challenge is and the workout.

[@borisgolubovic5914]

Tako je Nick,u Spaniji sam igrao Paddel a to je jos gora varijanta po meni jer ima i staklo iza koje se ne racuna kao odskok loptice!Spanci bas vole ja ne!I ono sto si na kraju rekao je takodje tacno da igraci u tenisu sa jacim levelima nikada ne igraju sa onima koji su slabiji!Ima samo jedan izuzetak u svijetu a to je da ti i dalje igras sa mnom iako su mi sanse male da uzmem poen!😎😎Hvala za to Nick i puno pozdrava iz Dubai😎😎✌️

[@IntuitiveTennis]

😂😂 🙌🙌 posalji slike iz dubaia i ovo ljeto igramo

[@hansolsson3409]

Tennis is the number one sport of all time, nothing else comes even close!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I agree

[@pickleballhead6957]

I would argue golf.

[@harryp3804]

@@pickleballhead6957 nope

[@rainmaker6335]

I play both..HOWEVER.....it seems Tennis has become what racquetball has become. In Florida the Tennis courts are usually empty, PB courts on the other hand there typically is a queue to play. PB IMHO is more social and to be a 3.5 player usually only takes a few months, if you are coming from a tennis background.

[@abstracyellow1766]

I understand there're levels of players. I still think players with different levels should play together if it's hard to find partners.

[@NCISfreak123]

Your last point is 100% the most important gripe I have with Pickleball. The others I don’t really care for as it’s kind of just an individuals opinion. But the fact that Pickleball courts use tennis courts is just a massive problem. Pickleballers need their own place to play!

[@Christopher-L-Edler]

I love both tennis and pickleball, and would hate to have to choose to give up one of the two forever. I'm 72, so I may not be able to cover a whole tennis court at some point when I'm less mobile, and if that happens, I'll be grateful that pickleball exists so that I can continue to play a racket sport. Their are lots of good points made in the comments. Here is my take... Pickleball is more fun, but tennis is more satisfying. For a given level of ability, you can keep the ball in play longer in pickleball than in tennis -- it's not fun to go pick up the ball. But you have to work on your strokes to play a decent game of tennis, and there's nothing like the satisfaction of playing better as a result of working hard on your strokes -- mastery is the root of the success in life, and people who enjoy mastering things are usually successful. So, I play tennis to work on my strokes (with the help of KZbin coaching videos), and appreciate my improvement when I play tennis; but I play pickleball, using my improved strokes, to have fun. I can't enjoy my mastery if I play people with a much lower or a much higher skill level, so I seek out players at my level or a bit above. I'm happy to play with beginners to introduce them to pickleball, and coach them to better strokes if they show an interest -- but if they just want to have fun, I avoid them -- life's too short (particularly so, since I'm 72). Pickleball courts take up much less room than a tennis court, and use less resources to build. I had just enough room in my backyard, and just enough money to put in a pickleball court, whereas a tennis court would have been out of the question. The sound of a pickleball is annoying, unless you're the one playing; whereas the sound of the tennis ball is quite nice, and gives you feedback on whether you hit the ball well (a nice "pop") or not. On the other hand, the shrieks and grunts that are increasingly being used in tennis are making it an ugly sport -- if I turn on the Tennis channel and hear a shriek -- I change the channel. I'll take the sound of the pickleball over a shriek any day of the week. When I was introduced to pickleball in 1978, we just assumed that pickleball was a smaller, easier version of tennis, and hit the ball hard much of the time. This is how we were playing after ten years of practice: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqbWnXiDq69ojtU But when pickleball tournaments started happening, somehow it was decided that the pinnacle of pickleball play was dinking, and that ruined pickleball for me as a spectator sport. I can't get through a single game of top pickleball players at a tournament because it's mostly boring, dink-dink-dink-dink. It's gone so far that some pickleball players disparage people who hit the ball hard by calling them "bangers", and attempts to neuter the serve have been made by changing the original 3 rules into more than a dozen that are clearly not in the original spirit of the game. If you don't play the dink game, pickleball doubles can be just as varied and interesting as tennis doubles. Stupidly -- pickleball is seen by some as the anti-tennis -- the 100-plus years of tennis stroke development is to be ignored, and pickleball-unique strokes are to be invented. What a wrong-headed waste. Every improvement I make to my tennis strokes is immediately put to use in my pickleball play. A tennis player with good strokes can quickly dominate pickleball-only players when new to the sport. I once lived across the street from a primary school, and was never annoyed by the shouts of the kids having fun at recess. I loved that they were happily playing. The equivalent noise on a pickleball court is the sound of life being lived to its fullest, and the same sounds are heard on any tennis court I play on. Their are lots of good points made in the comments. Here is my take... Pickleball is more fun, but tennis is more satisfying. For a given level of ability, you can keep the ball in play longer in pickleball than in tennis -- it's not fun to go pick up the ball. But you have to work on your strokes to play a decent game of tennis, and there's nothing like the satisfaction of playing better as a result of working hard on your strokes -- mastery is the root of the success in life, and people who enjoy mastering things are usually successful. So, I play tennis to work on my strokes (with the help of KZbin coaching videos), and appreciate my improvement when I play tennis; but I play pickleball, using my improved strokes, to have fun. I can't enjoy my mastery if I play people with a much lower or a much higher skill level, so I seek out players at my level or a bit above. I'm happy to play with beginners to introduce them to pickleball, and coach them to better strokes if they show an interest -- but if they just want to have fun, I avoid them -- life's too short (particularly so, since I'm 72). Pickleball courts take up much less room than a tennis court, and use less resources to build. I had just enough room in my backyard, and just enough money to put in a pickleball court, whereas a tennis court would have been out of the question. The sound of a pickleball is annoying, unless you're the one playing; whereas the sound of the tennis ball is quite nice, and gives you feedback on whether you hit the ball well (a nice "pop") or not. On the other hand, the shrieks and grunts that are increasingly being used in pro tennis (and now on the local tennis courts near me) are making it an ugly sport -- if I turn on the Tennis channel and hear a shriek -- I change the channel. I'll take the sound of the pickleball over a shriek any day of the week. When I was introduced to pickleball in 1978, I just assumed that pickleball was a smaller, easier version of tennis, and hit the ball hard much of the time. This is how we were playing after ten years of practice: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqbWnXiDq69ojtU But when pickleball tournaments started happening, somehow it was decided that the pinnacle of pickleball play was dinking, and that ruined the sport. I can't get through a single game of top pickleball players at a tournament because it's mostly boring, dink-dink-dink-dink. It's gone so far that some pickleball players disparage people who hit the ball hard by calling them "bangers". If you don't play the dink game, pickleball doubles can be just as varied and interesting as tennis doubles. Stupidly -- pickleball is seen by some as the anti-tennis -- the 100-plus years of tennis stroke development is to be ignored, and pickleball-unique strokes are to be invented. What a wrong-headed waste. Every improvement I make to my tennis strokes is immediately put to use in my pickleball play. A tennis player with good strokes can quickly dominate pickleball-only players, when a tennis player is new to the sport. I once lived across the street from a primary school, and was never annoyed by the shouts of the kids having fun at recess. I loved that they were happily playing. The equivalent noise on a pickleball court is the sound of life being lived to its fullest, and the same sounds are heard on any tennis court I play on.

[@HiFilover168]

"Pickleball is more fun, but tennis is more satisfying". That is the KEY word. BTW, the length of your comment probably is the longest (or top ten) on KZbin channel. 👋👍

[@305partyflix]

As you get older, any sport that's played on a hard court will do damage to your body. Inevitably alot of people getting into pickleball will experienced injuries due to this. The surface alone will cause attrition in this sport. As an aging tennis player, I can attest to this.

[@district2d]

I love all racquet sports. Tennis is the best spectator sport from the racquet sports. I would never watch pickleball on TV. Tennis has the highest learning curve of the racquet sports, at least from my experience.

[@glenngee9934]

Nick, you have some good observations on tennis vs pickleball, but I think you and others have to go deeper. Just as I would play tennis with someone close to my skill level (say it is 4.5); because I,too would like competitive matches. It is too easy to go 6-0 vs 3.0 and 3.5. The case for pickleball will be that there are levels of players, too. Everybody can play socially together, where the stronger players can "tone" it down for the weaker players; but a 4.5/5.0 pickleball player will easily beat a 3.0/3.5 player. Thus, eventually, the higher level players will seek out equal level (4.5/5.0 ) players for competitive matches via tournaments. To achieve the higher levels, a lot of practice and drilling is needed as in tennis to become successful. It is very hard to pass a good player at the net since the ball might only go 40-60 mph. (In tennis it could go 80 plus mph). Still, good strokes, good volley skills, soft game skills, and proper practice will take a good tennis player to a good pickleball level (4.5 to 5.0).

[@TheOnlyTinMS3]

Pickle ball is enjoyable for gainers and non athletes since it has a low skill requirement. Tennis is much deeper and you can spend your whole life working on your game and strikes to improve. That makes tennis a more worthwhile investment to me.

[@charlesdang2557]

Table tennis is the way to go if you are looking for an additional sport outside of tennis. Approachable for the beginner, but has a super high ceiling at the pro level just like tennis. Your tennis skills, to include the footwork, athleticism, and singles strategy are translatable to ping pong, but to a certain extent. To me that's just motivation to learn the game and seek improvement. I play both. Playing one does not ruin the skills of the other. I get a really good sweat playing table tennis. Can't say the same about pickleball. Pickleball is a step or two down in tempo from tennis. You all can have your alternative fun on the pickleball court, just not at my expense of losing access to tennis courts.

[@WalkerKlondyke]

Pickle ball is basically a drinking game that a few losers decided to take seriously.

[@CarlosLemans]

I don't share your points, I want to play a game just to enjoy time and to remove my stress from the week. 1) Choosing tennis because of the outfit: I dont care, I play for fun and if what your clothes are clean is enough for me, play with whatever cloth you want. 2) Ball sounds better: its not for me and I understand that pickleball sounds bad, but I just don't care. 3) Because is a gentleman way of play, I want to play fair and thats it, playing with respect of the other player is enought for me. I'll try to play pickleball next time and paddle changing from tennis, I like tennis but is too complicated to find a partner of your level and I want just to play for fun in a relaxed way and I'm not looking to play in a tournament, everyone has their own priorities.

[@skrrt_out]

im a pickleball guy, but he's right about the drip factor in tennis

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@tamasajtony9855]

Good point, In most public courts us/canada they make tennis players compete for court space by adding the damn 'picka'ball' lines, PB. spreads like wild fire, easy of everything, I don't have any problems with them if they get their own place away from the tennis courts and away from residencies, maybe from this planet too....

[@Mea600]

I hope you can someday try Padel and do a video like this. In Florida/Miami are some clubs with Padel courts. One thing that I am sure is that you will love the sound from the racket(bat) hitting the ball and also the sound differences between hitting the ball on the sweet point, with less/more slice, etc.

[@pickleballhead6957]

Padel is a beautiful sport!

[@ellenday2155]

I enjoy pickleball but understand why people prefer tennis. Tennis is far more athletic and skilled and you need to put a LOT of work in to just become ok at it, whilst you can pick up pickleball after two or three practices, but I would imagine that means that becoming good at tennis is much more rewarding than becoming good at pickleball. Tennis is much more exciting to watch as well, but pickleball is more accessible and social which is ultimately why it’s becoming popular.

[@Chance-ry1hq]

Pickleball is to Tennis as Checkers is to Chess. One is a child’s game the other is a game of intellect and skill. Like any child’s game one is easy to learn and play, the other takes time, practice, and hard work to develop your skills. One is fun to play occasionally, the other is a game of beauty and skill, and is far more rewarding.

[@adamheath4599]

I’d say your ignorance is high on the game of pickleball. In terms of pure athleticism, tennis may have that over pickleball. But if you’re talking about strategy and skill ceiling, I’d say you’re ignorant in pickleball and moreover racket sports. In general racket sports have a high skill ceiling due to how easy it is to make an error in comparison to other sports. Starting pickleball is easy, but mastering it, just like tennis is difficult. Let me give you a comparison on the tennis forehand to the pickleball forehand. In tennis, you aim high and give yourself margin for error, as this makes sense, this is a racket sport it’s hard to replicate the exact stroke to perfection. In pickleball on the other hand, because the court is so small and people play at the net, you have to aim just above the net and hit with top spin so it dips below the net as it crosses. If not they will hit a sharp angle that you will probably not get back. Can you do that shot a few times? Yeah of course, but it’s really easy to miss that shot right into the net, or a little too high. The margins are tighter in pickleball even if the mechanics are easier. Now we can move onto technique, where if your forehand top spin technique is not sublime, you are hitting that shit out because the racket technology doesn’t naturally produce as much spin as a tennis racket would. This is seen with high level tennis players such as Jack sock, Quang duong, and Donald young. Even these players miss MANY shots into the net or out due to how tight the margins are.

[@JGtennistraining]

We’ll said:)

[@dennisgallas8300]

I agree with your comments. Two other aspects that you didn’t mention about the Pickleball players is that there are to many players standing around waiting for their turn to play that they get very loud with their voices distracting the tennis community. It’s like playing tennis in a nightclub. The only true exercise that their getting is losing weight from their lips. The other negative factor is the Pickleball players are hurting themselves by falling down. I’ve seen four ambulances in six months transporting a Pickleball player to the hospital with broken wrists, ankles,arms and teeth. We don’t allow Pickleball at my community in southeast Florida because of the noise factor that’s lowering home pricing because of the noise. And insurance liability pricing is going through the roof. People are getting hurt. Plus parking is an issue near the Pickleball court where you can have as many as eight cars saturating parking spots with Pickleball players playing or waiting to play. Just some thoughts. Looks like your at okeeheelee park. Nice park.

[@aca8638]

So true about sound of the ball. And with dampener even i dont know what i do... So i play without dampener, and alot players play with that...

[@40luv84]

Here where I live in Cincinnati pickleballers are destroying our tennis courts by lowering the nets on public courts. So we get to the courts and they are useless. Makes me angry.

[@offthefront7537]

If you don't like pickleball don't play. If you like tennis then play with someone who also plays tennis. Good luck with the latter at a public facility. Where I play there are 8 pickle ball courts and 8 tennis. more often than not all the pickle ball courts are being used and all the tennis courts are unused. Guess the pickle ball players did not get the memo about tennis being better.

[@jeremyrogers1247]

Yes I agree, whilst Pickleball in North America and its similar counterpart (Padel Tennis) in Europe is easier to learn, the challenge of tennis gives longer term satisfaction. Tennis is a difficult sport but the becoming competent at it through sustained effort does feel good.

[@juanzingarello4005]

I took Tennis classes briefly in High School and College. And one thing I could never figure out was how to hit the ball fast without hitting a home run out of the court. The game certainly looks alot easier than it is. I was better suited for squash and racquetball over tennis.

[@federicorusso4378]

Pickleball is just a group within the US community that tried to start a brand new sport lol... Nothing new there tbh. It might become a recreational sport but that's about it. Similar to disc golf... fun to play for fun but as a professional sport it starts to become a joke.

[@Tuzumaki]

Watching tennis in person is 100x better than on TV. Even watching 5.0 matches in person can often be more fun than watching Masters 1000 on the screen

[@bowsershark]

In our area, a small percentage of loud people want to take away court time from tennis people. Many or most of the new pickle ball schmucks(in our area) have zero grace and don't want to wait their turn in the tennis line to play. The pickle people are mostly middle age to seniors and are handicapped by lack of athletic talent or ability. Their rallies are short. And, it seems like a difficult game the way they play it. Despite posted signs saying " tennis only", the disobeying noisy folks force their way in and try to impose themselves on the tennis community. Additionally, they graffiti the courts with confusing pickle lines and change the height of the Nets. The a$$hole move is to not return the net to it's original height. Lack of reciprocity is horrible. The pickle people don't return your balls which go on their court. And, the a-holes among them run on your court for their balls and interrupt your points. Pickle people have the same problem finding partners as tennis people. The pickle people noise and pickleball louder bouncing plastic balls are distracting for the tennis community.

[@pickleballhead6957]

We're not all a holes. Sorry, for your experience.

[@realoz9419]

Pickleball is what you call celebrating mediocrity

[@mogliethai]

If people want to play pickleball since it has such a low barrier to entry and rather low skilled relative to other racket sports, so be it. I just really don't like combining tennis courts with pickleball. At least keep them separate. Nothing is worse than showing up to a court for tennis practice only to have them all occupied with pickleball. Such a waste of a tennis court :). Same as a tennis court with basketball hoops on it.

[@pickleballhead6957]

Dedicated pickleball courts are the best! We want them just as bad as you do.

[@JGtennistraining]

Tennis will always be more challenging and better for your health. I’m happy to see 80 year old people still playing tennis at my club.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@donniebuza2597]

Why dont they just call it whiffle tennis. It could be a practice version of the game of tennis like whiffle ball baseball. It doesn't have to be it's own game. It can just be like mini tennis. This can get people looking for a greater challenge, into tennis. Thus, I think pickleball actually introduces more people to tennis.

[@AldoGuzman-fk8pv]

You have a good view of both sports!! Anyone can play Pickleball but one has to be skillful to play tennis!!

[@TomMoose]

I’m here for the analysis/opinion, but I stayed for the way You pronounce “pick-a-bol “. There’s just the right level of disdain in it 😂

[@pickleballhead6957]

😂😂😂

[@jmp62276]

The sound and clothes are two of the most superficial reasons I can think of when making this argument. Also, that cheap paddle he's using does make a horrible sound when it hits the pickleball. Tennis is my number one sport, and will always be the sport I love most, and what puts food on the table for my family, but I also really enjoy playing pickleball too. This stupid (mostly one sided) rivalry between tennis and pickleball is just dumb.

[@chrisimming9454]

Any sport like pickleball that involves a kitchen is NOT for me.

[@chainz30]

is cheaper?

[@smais94]

When you get good at tennis and can play at a high level than you will know why tennis is better than pickle ball. I play pickle ball occasionally to get together with non tennis player friends and it is fun but after a few games I want to move over to the tennis court.

[@pickleballhead6957]

Some people put just as much time into pickleball as you guys put into tennis. The notion that pickleball can't be serious baffles me. It's levels to this s*** just like tennis. 🤷🏿‍♂️

[@dannybyun2249]

i agree with everything said EXCEPT for the pro part. I love tennis but i feel like pickleball might have the potential to become something like ping pong where there is fast paced action with a lot of interesting crazy spin on the ball once the paddles, ball, and technique becomes more developed. rather than pickleball being like tennis i think its more kind of like ping pong.